


Absolutely Smitten

by relmer



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, Laser Tag, M/M, Very fluffy, ahhh such good tags, also mario kart, so are the cookies jack and finch make, spoiler: jack beats race and race nearly punches him, the pizza is apparently rlly good, they should open a bakery, they talk and it’s too cute for me, uh ralbert is fluffy, wink - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 11:39:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12840375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/relmer/pseuds/relmer
Summary: It’s taken approximately six years and twenty nine days for Albert and Race to admit their feelings for each other.... Which they do in one day.





	Absolutely Smitten

**Author's Note:**

> modern au, everyone looks like they do in newsies live!!
> 
> enjoy this sappy fic :)

“Don’t fuck this up, Higgins.”

“Hey! When do I ever?”

“Every other time we’ve played laser tag,” Jack said, shooting the blond a knowing look, “you always make our team lose.”

Race threw his hands in the air, letting out an angry sigh. “That was _one time!_ And Kath was after me; I don’t ever mess with her.”

“Jack, Race, hurry up! The doors are about to open!” Finch called to them. He was wearing the ‘gear’ they all needed, holding his fake gun in his hands.

The pair put on their things and grabbed the guns that were connected to them. They were on a team with Finch and Davey. Kath, Specs, Crutchie, and Albert were on the other side.

“We’re gonna kick your asses,” Albert promised Race, a giant smirk on his face.

“Oh, yeah?” Race looked up from buckling his chest piece. “You guys got a plan?”

“You have no idea,” Katherine responded. A second later the doors open and they all rush in.

They find their bases, listen to the rules, then the buzzer sounds. A few whoops are heard, along with heavy footsteps.

Jack and Davey guard their base, Finch and Race running out to ‘kill’ the others and capture theirs. Finch goes in the upper area, Race staying at the bottom of the arena.

He dodges behind a wall, hiding from Katherine. Waiting for her to pass, he then goes into plain view and shoots Specs and Crutchie. He sends a grin their way before making his way to their base.

As soon as he steps in their base’s boundaries, Race is shoved out of the way. Albert blocks his path to the center.

“You can’t shoot me,” the blond said, putting his gun in the holster since he can’t shoot his friend, either.

“I was told to distract you, though,” Albert shot back with a shrug. “Which is what I’m going to do.”

“Oh, yeah?”

The redhead nodded, crossing his arms. Alarms went off in Race’s head, though he kept eye contact. It was challenging, considering the _light was just right on Albert’s biceps and—_

Race had admitted his crush on his best friend a while ago (to Jack and Katherine, naturally), and the boy wasn’t helping it.

“How...exactly are you planning on doing that?”

“Well, if I talk to you, then I’m wasting time. Every second we spend talking is another second wasted in which you could be making your way to victory.”

Race glanced to the side, pretending someone was there. It got Albert’s attention, and the blond darted around him. He reached the button in the center, slamming his hand down on it. Albert cursed, shaking his head, and the announcer tells the others who won.

The blond turned to his friend. “You were saying?”

Albert smacked the other’s head, then draped his arm around Race’s shoulders and walked with him outside of the arena. “Next time, I’m on your team.”

“Deal,” Race said with a grin. His eyes met Jack’s as the pair exit, and he raised an eyebrow. “So...what do you owe me?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “You’re not all too bad at laser tag. Happy?”

Race scoffed. “Hey, I’m better than you! I won the game, and you’re welcome!”

“He did win it,” Davey chimed in.

“Yeah, what were you doing, Jack?” Albert teased. “Making out with your boyfriend?”

Davey’s cheeks flushed as Jack stammered out incoherent words.

“Exactly,” Race spat, though it held no harm. “I say you treat us all to some pizza and soda...just saying.”

Jack tried to argue, but Finch and Specs threatened to throw him in the pool in their neighborhood until he agrees.

“Let’s just get on with it.”

The brunet led the group to the food area of the place. They gave the girl at the counter their orders, receive their drinks, then made their way over to one of the booths as Jack pays. Race was pushed against Albert by Katherine, who had squeezed her way onto the end.

“It’s been a while since we’ve all hung out together,” she pointed out nonchalantly, ignoring Race’s glare. “Especially gone somewhere for a meal.”

“And the clock will yet again restart,” Finch said, rolling his eyes playfully. “Should we see how long we can go?”

“I’d rather not,” Crutchie intervened. “I like hanging out with you guys.”

Everyone let out an “aw” at the boy who sat between the wall and Albert. His crutch rested against the outside of the booth, away from people, as his lips were pulled into a grin. Anyone could see the sappiness in it.

“Crutchie is definitely the Hufflepuff of the group,” Davey said, nudging Specs for his opinion.

The boy nodded. “Can confirm...so can literally everyone who even _looks_ at him.”

“He’s a literal ray of sunshine,” Race added.

“Guys!” Crutchie mumbled, shaking his head.

“He’s a Hufflepuff for many reasons,” Katherine said as she studied him. “He’s extremely loyal and willing to go many lengths for us, and also tries his best to make anyone and everyone feel better.”

“Alright, Miss Harry Potter geek, let’s cool the nerdiness,” Jack mumbled, shrinking away from a punch.

A waitress walked up to the table with a large tray, placing their pizzas on the metal stands on the table. “Enjoy!” she said politely with a polite smile, then walking back into the kitchen.

The group dug in, most eating two slices. They’d gotten two larges and a medium, twenty four slices between all of them. Albert and Race had earlier decided to see how many they could eat, so both had two slices of the larges. Then they simultaneously devoured the six slices of the medium pizza.

“This is the best pizza I’ve _ever_ had,” Specs said between bites and sips of his Sprite, “and I’ve had a lot of pizza.”

“I completely agree,” Race mumbled as he continued to fight his best friend.

“You two are going to end up choking,” Katherine said with both a worried and disgusted tone and look on her face.

Jack snorted. “One, I doubt it, and two—“ He was cut off by a smack on the arm from Davey.

“Don’t you even dare.”

_”What?”_

Crutchie rolled his eyes. “Kath, I believe we are surrounded by four-year-olds.”

“I quite agree,” Katherine said. “Though, at least Specs has manners.”

The boy gave her a smile, taking another bite. “And at least you two aren’t alone in this. Or, at some times, Kath isn’t.”

“Hey!” Crutchie complained.

“You do tend to do stupid things with Jack,” Davey explained. “Not as much as he and Race do, but still some stupid stuff.”

“We—“

Finch shook his head. “Race, don’t even _try_ to argue with that.”

“I was _going_ to say that at least we have fun.”

“Right,” Katherine dragged out, “getting arrested is fun.”

Albert turned to his best friend. “Without me? Well, more importantly, what did you even  _do?”_

“We — mostly Race — kept trying to do ‘parkour’ around Manhattan,” Jack said. “He did it literally everywhere, before they arrested him. They brought him to juvie for like, a day.”

“So _that’s_ why you missed our weekly hangout night.”

“It was totally worth it,” Race mumbled.

– – –

Once they finished, the group decided to head to Specs’ house and mess around. He and Katherine tried to keep everyone under control and out of trouble, but relatively failed.

“The only good thing,” Specs said optimistically, “is that Race and Albert are downstairs playing who-knows-what, instead of doing dumb shit with Jack.”

“From all the yelling, it sounds like Mario Kart,” Katherine responded.

“...Oh boy.”

Jack came in with Finch, both holding plates of cookies. “Look what we made!” the former yelled with pride. “Even _Davey_ said they were good!”

“Or did he just say that to make him feel better?” Katherine whispered to Specs, who let out a soft laugh.

“Who knows?” he said normally. “Maybe they’re actually good.”

“They are!” Crutchie promised, walking in and picking one from Finch’s plate and taking a bite. “Gordon Ramsey would rate...nine out of ten.”

“Hell yeah!” Jack shouted.

Race ran up from downstairs at that, Albert right behind him. “Why are people ye- are those cookies?” He lunged for Jack’s plate, taking several and eating them one a time but quickly.

“...So?” Katherine asked him.

She didn’t get a verbal response, but from the way the blond destroyed the cookies, she could tell they were good.

“Fine, I’ll try them.”

Jack and Finch grinned. Katherine hesitated before trying them, her eyes quickly widening.

“We’ve made the best cookies in the _world!”_ Finch high-fived Jack. “We should totally open a bakery.”

“I would buy _everything_ in there,” Albert said, him and Race finishing Jack’s plate. “These are immensely good. Open a shop in Manhattan, and I can assure you that you two will become trillionaires.”

“Were these made from scratch?” Specs asked, nibbling on a few.

Jack and Finch nodded together proudly.

“We came up with a recipe not too long ago,” the Jack said.

“There’s a lot of stuff in them, but all of it makes them better,” Crutchie admitted.

Katherine shook her head. “I don’t even _want_ to know.”

– – –

When the group had finally calmed down, they made their way downstairs and planned out the rest of their day. They decided to play several rounds of Mario Kart, then watch movies. The former was a majorly bad decision.

“Jack Kelly, I swear to God, if you even _think_ about passing me, I will pour hot chocolate all over you,” Race threatened as he tried to stay in first place.

The brunet shook his head. “Now, I won’t.”

He kept true to his word, until they were about to cross the finish line. Jack knocked Race away, making him drop down nearly to last place.

_”JACK KELLY-“_

Both of them shot up, Jack’s face betraying him and showing how scared he was. Race looked like he was about to tackle his friend.

“I said I wouldn’t then,” Jack argued. “not that I wouldn’t do it!”

Race moved forward, Finch darting to step in. He became a barrier between the two while Albert held the blond back, since he was the only one who could.

“Let’s not kill each other because of a game,” Katherine said in a motherly tone.

“I will _not_ let myself get knocked off the official scoreboard by Jack Kelly!” Race yelled, but slowly — and reluctantly — calmed himself down.

“Okay...,” Specs started cautiously, “who wants to watch a movie?”

They ended up watching Moana, since Davey and Crutchie kept pestering the others until Specs caved and put the movie on. Piling back into couches and chairs, they were all squished because of the small amount of room.

“Your elbow is digging into my side!” Race whispered to Albert, whom he was nearly on top of.

“At least I’m not on top of you!” Albert retorted, which earned him a scoff from his friend.

“I weigh less than you!”

Crutchie shushed them, since he sat next to Albert. “Watch the movie!”

“Yeah, Race, watch the movie,” Albert repeated in an attempt to copy Crutchie’s voice.

Race rolled his eyes punched Albert’s shoulder. “I would be able to if you weren’t trying to push me off the couch.”

“I’m not!”

“Race, Albert, I swear if you two don’t shut up, we will kick you guys out,” Specs threatened. “Or force you into a closet or some shit to solve your sexual tension.”

The pair’s cheeks flushed, Race’s eyes shooting back to the screen in embarrassment. He felt Albert shrug, then a hand softly turned Race’s head and _holy shit Albert’s lips were on his._

The redhead’s lips were careful against Race’s, the spot on his face and everywhere Albert’s arm held him close was burning. Race shifted so he could kiss him both back and better.

“Let’s leave them...and make sure they don’t have sex,” Finch suggested. “Knowing them, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

The others agreed instantaneously and all scurried upstairs. Once the door was closed, the two boys on the couch pulled away.

 _”Damn,”_ Albert murmured. “You’re a good kisser.”

Race gave him a cheeky grin. “I mean, I’ve kissed a few people, so I’ve had some practice.”

“That was my first kiss.”

The blond was left speechless, backing away. He opened his mouth, his lips not forming actual words. His eyes were wide as he stared in Albert in shock.

“That,” he finally said, “was your first kiss? It definitely didn’t seem like it.”

He was given a smile, one that shot mixed emotions through him.

“It was, and I’m glad you were my first kiss, and I hope you’re the rest of them.”

Race raised an eyebrow. “Albert DaSilva, are you asking me out? Like...not on a date, but-“

“To be your boyfriend?” His lips formed a grin, one quite similar to the one Race made after they pulled away. “You guessed it.”

“As long as you take me on a date to Central Park and you take me on that picnic.”

“Like you always talked about?”

“Like I always talked about.”

They sealed the deal with a kiss, and after that there would be countless other ones. Soft, sexual, quick, long, hard. Ones that would last as long as humanly possible, feeling like your soul was slowly being taken out. Ones that were full of pure longing after they hadn’t seen each other for a while. Ones that were the embodiment of trust and love, since trust is the thing that holds everything together.

Because Albert and Race would always trust each other, no matter what stood in their path.

**Author's Note:**

> hi y’all really need to write more ralbert fics like pls i love my boys the deserve love (don’t get me wrong i also love sprace okay,, and spralbert bye)


End file.
